GS council to retain ten acres of Camp Furnace Hills

The Board of Director’s vote was mandated by GSHPA’s insurance provider following significant storm damage to the property incurred in February 2017; and was informed by the research and assessment work conducted by the Long-Range Property and Program Planning Committee.

Board of Directors of GSHPA statement on Camp Furnace Hills, August 18, 2017

On August 17, 2017, the Board of Directors of the Girl Scouts in the Heart of Pennsylvania

(GSHPA) voted on the future use of Camp Furnace Hills, a camp owned by GSHPA and located in

Denver, Pennsylvania. Specifically, the Board unanimously voted to:

— Retain ten acres of the camp located to the east of Girl Scout Road, to be used for

outdoor experiences, including day camp and the continued offering of the Foxfire

program.

— Develop a master plan to clean-up, repair, renovate and invest in the retained ten acres

to enable the revised footprint to successfully support enhanced outdoor experiences.

The Board of Director’s vote was mandated by GSHPA’s insurance provider following significant

storm damage to the property incurred in February 2017; and was informed by the research

and assessment work conducted by the Long-Range Property and Program Planning

Committee.

Camping remains one of the most distinctive Girl Scout experiences and GSHPA appreciates the

deep ties that Girl Scouts and volunteers have to Camp Furnace Hills. A safe outdoor experience

will continue to play a key role in GSHPA efforts to help today’s girls become tomorrow’s

leaders. The best interests of the all of the girls in the council continue to guide GSHPA efforts.

GSHPA has an opportunity and obligation to allocate resources so that they best serve all girls

in the council membership. Camp is an important program offering but not the only program of

interest as girls communicated through a membership survey and focus groups. GSHPA remains

committed to the outdoor experience while balancing upkeep and operating costs of camps

with diminished utilization rates, the demand for innovative new programs and the resources

required to better support adults as troop leaders and volunteers.

The role of the Long-Range Property and Program Planning Committee is to implement a

transparent assessment process that recommends a sustainable investment in GSHPA’s

outdoor programs and properties for future use. Extensive public comment has been invited

from girls, adult members and volunteers related to the LRPPPC’s evaluation of all properties

and programs offered by GSHPA.

Background on the storm’s impact to CFH

On Saturday, February 25, 2017, Lancaster County experienced two storm systems with

recorded wind speeds ranging between 75-90 miles per hour causing an estimated $7 million